Faith is a female given name of English origin, derived from the Old English word 'fæð', which means 'faith'. The name has been in use since the Middle Ages and was popular among the Puritans during the 17th century. Faith is often associated with religious themes due to its meaning, but it can also be used as a secular name.
The name Faith became particularly popular in the United States during the mid-20th century. It was consistently ranked among the top 500 names for girls between the years of 1936 and 1986. Despite its religious connotations, the name has been embraced by people of various faiths and backgrounds as a symbol of trust, belief, and confidence.
Some notable individuals with the name Faith include Faith Evans, an American singer-songwriter known for her collaborations with Notorious B.I.G., and Faith Ford, an American actress best known for her role in the sitcom "Murphy Brown". The name has also been used in literature and popular culture, such as in the novel "Faith" by Zusak, which tells the story of a young girl named Faith living during World War II.
In summary, Faith is a female given name of English origin that means 'faith'. While it has religious connotations, it has also been embraced as a secular name. The name has been popular in the United States since the mid-20th century and has been carried by notable individuals throughout history.
The name Faith has been a popular choice for parents in the United States since at least the late 19th century. Between 1880 and 2023, there have been a total of 145,256 births registered with the name Faith.
Looking at the annual statistics, we can see that the popularity of the name Faith has fluctuated over time. In the late 19th century and early 20th century, the number of babies named Faith varied between 5 and 39 per year. However, starting in the mid-1940s, there was a significant increase in the number of births registered with the name Faith.
Between 1944 and 1976, the annual number of births with the name Faith ranged from 400 to 840. The peak of this period occurred in 1955, with 800 babies named Faith born that year.
The popularity of the name Faith continued to rise in the late 1970s and early 1980s, reaching a high of 940 births in 1990. However, since then, the number of babies named Faith has declined significantly. Between 1995 and 2023, the annual number of births with the name Faith ranged from 1,747 to just 1,256.
Despite this decline in recent years, Faith remains a popular name for girls in the United States, ranking among the top 1,000 names for girls born between 2000 and 2023. This long-standing popularity is a testament to the enduring appeal of the name Faith among parents in the United States.